The Raven Cry
by The Lady Doth
Summary: AU. When Mako was a child, he heard — majestic, exciting, wonderful — stories about the Avatar. Somehow, the circumstances in which he met Korra didn't quite match up with the Avatar he had envisioned in his mind. "I'd hate to think that you're falling for me, City Boy. We both know this can't end well if you are." Mako/Korra
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Legend of Korra.

**A/N: **First time posting a LOK fic here. This fandom is crazy and sort of rabid when it comes to shipping but it's also awesome how passionate the fans are—including me. To clarify: this fic _will_ be AU in which Korra doesn't regain her bending and she never met the Krew when she defeated Amon. Oh, and the pro-bending arena never, you know, got burned down. Otherwise, it's pretty canon-compliant. Sort of. (Not really.)

* * *

** The Raven Cry **

**- Prologue -**

_Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,  
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.  
_

* * *

There was a girl sitting on the sidelines of the pro-bending arena, and Mako was distracted. This, of course, was ridiculous considering that she hadn't spoken a single word to him thus far, but he was distracted nonetheless.

She'd been here everyday now for the past week.

At first, he simply assumed that she was just another fangirl of Bolin's, but then he realised that she was only around when he was there to practice his firebending. In retrospect, he supposed it was sort of flattering since it was normally his younger brother who attracted the attention of the female variety, but it was also intimidating how, well, _intense, _this girl was.

Because that was the only way to describe her.

Intense.

From his far-too-frequent inconspicuous glances at her, he could tell that she was younger than him by a year or two — probably sixteen, or seventeen at most — but there was something in her eyes; something dark, and serious, and all too solemn, that told him that she, like him, had seen too much in this lifetime. Experienced things that people their age shouldn't be forced to face. The girl had a maturity that extended far beyond her age. Admittedly though, the enigmatic aura this girl exuded wasn't only thing that had caught his attention. She was also rather attractive. You know, if you liked girls with wide cerulean eyes, a sun-kissed tan and athletically toned physique.

Which he didn't. Kind of.

Mako shook his head and barrelled another fiery whip of fire at one of his targets, carefully avoiding eye contact with the girl as he did so. He could feel her stare burning into his back.

Okay, fine, maybe he did.

Great. Now he was distracted _and _a pervert.

To be honest though, it wasn't his fault. Even Bolin had stated numerous times that if it weren't for the fact that he was dating Asami (who, in turn, awkwardly happened to be his _ex-_girlfriend) he would've asked her out by now. "But since I can't," Bolin oh-so-helpfully added, "maybe you should."

Mako hadn't ended up asking her out though, or even talked to her at all for that matter. Not that he wasn't tempted to. Because he was. He was very, _very_ tempted—

"If you relaxed your back muscles more, the fire would be more easier to control. Just saying."

He startled at the sound of her surprisingly husky voice and in his surprise, accidentally sent a flame of fire spiralling in her direction. She made no move to avoid them though and instead, actually _reached out_ towards one of the sparks as if she was mesmerised by the light. He shouted out a warning cry, but she paid no heed to it. Predictably, it burned the skin where she'd touched the flame but for some reason, a peculiar look of surprise crossed her face.

_Strange girl,_ he thought. It was almost as if she hadn't expected it to injure her. Which was unsettling in itself, since it was _fire. _Fire was the element of power; of destruction. Of course it would injure her. Unless she was a firebender, in which case it would have no effect on her, but judging by her water tribe attire that was impossible.

Right?

"Are you," he began cautiously, lest she turned out to be mentally unstable, "alright?"

The girl looked up at him and met his gaze. The vivid blue of her eyes caused his heart to momentarily stutter. He had a flashback of his first meeting with Asami and the similar feelings he was currently experiencing now. "I've lost count how many times people have asked me that," she mused to him thoughtfully.

Yep. _Definitely_ strange.

"I'd imagine so if you normally go around touching your bare hands with fire," Mako pointed out dryly. Despite the oddity of this girl and the ambiguity of her sanity though, he found himself slowly approaching her. Once he reached the sideline, he knelt down beside her and reached out for her hand to inspect the damage. After a moment's hesitation, she let him. With an astute delicateness, he cradled her hand between his gloved fingers. The first thing he noticed about her hand was that rather than being smooth, it was calloused and rough—as if she spent much of her spare time training with defensive hand movements. Interesting. Reminding himself to stay focused, he turned her hand over his palm and lightly brushed his thumb over the inflamed skin. She winced when he grazed over it again, and he murmured an apology. "It's a superficial scar," he concluded after a minute. "Painful, but nothing permanent."

"Shame. I was aiming for a warrior's scar," she commented, as she withdrew her hand from his.

Her blunt humour made him let out an uneasy laugh. "You've been watching me," he blurted out suddenly. The words exploded from his mouth before he could stop himself. He raked a hand through his hair in embarrassment and attempted a more neutral tone. "I mean, I've seen you at the arena a lot."

She cocked her head to one side, a teasing smile playing about her lips. "Oh _really _now? Been checking me out, have we?"

He felt a flush rise up his neck. "What? No-I, um, it's just. Well, I see you a lot when I practice and it's hard not to notice when you're the only one in the audience and all." He made a lame sweeping gesture.

_Smooth, Mako. Real smooth._

The girl stretched her arms languidly – allowing him to get an eyeful of her bare stomach as her shirt rode up her torso – and took in their surroundings. She snorted. "Huh. I guess so."

Up-close, Mako was suddenly struck with a sense of dèja vu. There was something vaguely familiar about her face that he couldn't quite pinpoint. He wondered briefly if he'd seen her outside the arena before. "Do I know you? I think I recognise you from somewhere."

There was a long pause.

"You don't listen to the radio or read the newspaper a lot, do you?" she asked him finally, leaning back in her seat as she scrutinised him. For what, he didn't know.

"I don't own a radio," Mako told her levelly, "and newspapers are mostly written by fools of the Council. And we all know how productive they are." He didn't add that he lived in the attic of the arena with his brother and that newspapers and radios were luxuries they could not afford.

The girl grinned widely at his remark. She had a nice smile, he decided. It showed off her dimples.

"Not all of them are fools," she remarked casually to him, kicking up her feet and resting them on the seat in front. "Tenzin is the wisest person I know and Tarrlok...he turned out to be alright in the end."

Tarrlok. Mako frowned. "The bloodbender?" Even _he_ heard about Tarrlok and his twisted family tree. "Isn't his brother Amon?"

Her lips pressed into a thin line and she turned away from him. "Yeah. Yeah, he is."

Mako watched her fingers curl into fists before unclenching again and he knew. He didn't know how, he just _knew. _He had no doubt whatsoever that this girl knew the people of the Council and Amon personally.

Which more than likely meant that she was one of the benders who got caught at an Equalist rally.

He felt bile rise up in his throat. A year had passed since the fall of Amon, but the memory of the masked man and the strife he had brought down on Republic City did not fade. Bolin and him were the lucky ones that had escaped Amon's wrath but there were others — including the renowned Chief Lin Beifong — who weren't as fortunate. Clearly, this girl was one of them.

She probably visited the pro-bending arena to re-live the days when she could bend.

Without meaning to, he said, "I'm sorry."

She stiffened and lifted her head to meet his gaze. "For what?"

"The loss of your bending." He spoke as if she had lost a loved one, but for a bender to lose their element, it meant that they had lost a piece of themselves. A piece that formed their identity. If he lost his firebending, it'd almost be like losing his parents all over again.

Almost.

The girl sighed. It was a weary sound, as if she was tired and all the oxygen had left her body. "Thanks, I guess. It still doesn't change anything. My bending is still gone."

"It doesn't mean you still can't keep living," he said. The frankness of her voice bothered him.

She shook her head. "Not true. I may as well be dead. I'm no one if I can only bend one of four elements." She drew in a shaky breath. "People depend on me to protect them. How can I do that now that Amon has taken away my one privilege?"

"Wait," Mako struggled to process her words. One of four..."_Who are you?_"

"I'm Korra," she said, saluting him goodbye. She headed towards the exit, her brown hair swinging messily behind her. "Nice meeting you, Mr Hat Trick."

Mako stared after her. Posters of her silhouette standing tall and proud against the landscape of Republic City flashed across his mind. His eyes widened in understanding.

"She's the Avatar," he told himself in disbelief. He slapped his forehead. "And I'm an idiot."

* * *

**notes: **The next chapter will be longer and unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on the way you want to look at this) I'm planning to make this story a dark, angst-filled rollercoaster ride. Obviously, there are many, _many_ tweaks from the actual show but I hope it stays relatively true to the storyline. Honestly though, why is there so much hate on Mako? I mean, obviously he has flaws that even I have to admit but that doesn't mean people should blatantly criticise and slander all his previous good deeds. Korra and Mako declaring their mutual love for each other may have been too soon though. I was hoping that they'd drag out the sexual tension for a bit longer. This story will probably reflect those desires. Oh, great. Now I'm rambling. Time to shut up now. Don't forget to leave a review so I know this story has a premise of catching your interest!


	2. Threads

**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Legend of Korra.

**A/N: **Thanks for all the reviews, they really do mean a lot to me. I forgot to mention before but there's going to be a few meta references that includes me recycling familiar LOK dialogue. See if you can pick them out (they're not exactly hard to find though).

* * *

**The Raven Cry **

**- Chapter 1 -**

**Threads**

* * *

"No way. _No way. _The Avatar. You met _the Avatar_?"

Mako rubbed his temple at his brother's boisterous voice and repeated his answer patiently for what seemed like the umpteenth time. "Yes, Bolin. I met the Avatar."

"The Avatar," Bolin murmured wonderingly. He reached forward for a dumpling and chewed slowly as he spoke. "And you're saying that the pretty water tribe girl — the one that keeps coming to our practices — that's her?"

Mako stirred his ramen with his chopsticks idly. Even to him, it sounded surreal. The Avatar watching them practice for a pro-bending tournament while she was off _saving the world._ The two things didn't even deserve to be in the same sentence. They were in entirely different categories with absolutely nothing in common. It was like comparing apples to watermelons or something. What they did couldn't even compete with what Korra had gone through. "Yeah, bro. That's the Avatar."

"Whoah," Bolin let out a low whistle. Mako had a vague suspicion that he was hyperventilating. "The _Avatar_ has been watching us train. That's so cool. I mean, she's _the Avatar. _She's like, famous, bro. Isn't it weird that she's our age? Do you think she really defeat Amon all by herself?" Bolin looked around the attic as if someone was listening in on them and lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Did you ask her if Tarrlok and Amon really killed themselves on a boat out of Republic City?"

"I didn't ask," Mako said, even though the same questions had been plaguing him since he saw her. "It didn't seem appropriate."

"Oh." Bolin's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "I guess it isn't. Did you at least ask for her name?"

Mako stared outside the window of their attic that was in clear view of the Air Temple. Presumably, that was where she lived with the monastery. "Her name's Korra." It sounded odd to just call her by her name. He corrected himself. "Avatar Korra."

Bolin was curious. Infuriatingly, so. "And what's Avatar Korra like?"

He didn't know how to answer that. Korra was not what he expected—to say the least. As far as he knew, there were no similarities between Korra and the late Avatar Aang whatsoever. He didn't know whether he felt disappointed about that or not. When Mako was a child, he heard — majestic, exciting, wonderful — stories about the adventures of the Avatar and his friends. Adventures that made him wish that he was one of the legendary members of the Avatar gang rather than a homeless boy struggling to make ends meet for the sake of his brother. In some aspects, the Avatar was a symbol of hope. Justice. Freedom.

Somehow, the circumstances in which he met Korra didn't quite match up with the Avatar he had envisioned in his mind.

"She's...interesting," Mako settled on saying. Interesting seemed like a safe enough adjective.

"That's it? Interesting?"

Apparently not.

A frown was evident on Bolin's face. "Come on, you can do better than that. I know you're not good with words and all, but you have to give me _something _to work on. Describe her personality in one word. Anything. Just make it better than 'interesting.'"

Mako sighed. One word to describe Avatar Korra. He pondered his answer. He remembered the stiffness of her shoulders, the surprise when the flames burned her and the dejected expression she wore. She was nothing like the brash, vibrant Avatar he'd heard about. To him, she simply looked like a confused girl who didn't know where she stood in the world.

"Mako?" His brother was still waiting for an answer.

"Lost," he said truthfully. "She seems lost."

* * *

Korra touched the doorknob indecisively, wondering if she should go inside.

The pro-bending gym did not normally allow visitors after hours or even during training time, but the old man there who managed the place — Toza, she thought was his name was — recognised her as the Avatar and had given her permission to hang around the place anytime she wanted.

"As far as I'm concerned, any publicity is good publicity," he had stated irritably when she asked him why. "And anyway, I have work to do."

So for the past week or so, Korra spent her free time at the gym. It was a good distraction from the Air Temple, where she was constantly reassured by Tenzin that 'everything was going to be alright' and Pema's sad eyes that seemed to follow her wherever she went. Her parents had returned to the Southern Water Tribe after she insisted that there was nothing they could do. They were better off going home. It was better for her parents to not see her in this state. She hated to make them worry, and at least this way, she could send letters to them saying that she was okay and not carry the burden of having them know that she was lying.

Unfortunately though, she couldn't do that with everyone else. Because they knew. They saw her break down and scream, and yell, and shout until her voice went hoarse. They saw her hide in her room for days at a time because going outside reminded her that she couldn't control the earth beneath her feet, the sun on her face or the water that surrounded them like a reminder of what she once had. They knew because a year had passed and nothing had changed. Her control over the elements was gone, save for the element of air.

But what use was air when the elements she grew up with — the elements she nurtured and cared for — had disappeared? Air was the element Aang kept close to his heart, not her. She yearned for water and fire. The elements that reflected her personality just as air had reflected Aang's.

It took a few months but Tenzin eventually sensed her disinterest in practicing air bending and so he had respected her wishes, allowing her to cease her training until she was ready to begin again. Which, at this rate, seemed a long while away. She didn't tell Tenzin this though. It was nicer to allow him the possibility of maybe.

The arena provided an escape from her troubles. Here, she almost felt like herself again. She'd always dreamed of competing in the tournament. That dream was moot now, but that didn't stop the rush of adrenaline she felt when she stood at the sidelines and watched the players. Their movements lacked the fluidity she had been brought up with, but they compensated for that with an unrestrained power that left her breathless and amazed.

Mako, the captain of the Fire Ferrets, was the one she often came to see. Out of all the firebenders she saw, he was the one that caught her attention the most. His infamous cool-under-fire style coupled with his intense look of concentration impressed her. He had the same passion she had for firebending.

Correction: _used _to have.

Korra went inside the arena, thinking over what had happened yesterday. She didn't know what was going through her when she admitted to Mako that her bending was gone. He probably realised she was the Avatar after she left. It wasn't exactly like she was subtle about it or anything. She was actually more surprised that he didn't spill the news to the press. Spirits knows how much the media would have a field day over this.

She could already imagine the headline:

_Avatar, What Avatar? Avatar Korra, Avatar No Longer_

Korra cringed. It was only a matter of time before that happened. Everyone knew that Amon took away bending permanently. After Amon's death, there was no cosmic shift in the spirit world, no sage moment of discovery on how to reverse the effects: what was missing, stayed missing. And if people found out that her bending was gone too—

She bit her lip, hard. She could taste copper on her tongue. Blood. She wiped it away with the back of her hand and spat on the floor. Gross. She really needed to stop doing that when she got nervous.

"Oh, hey."

Korra jumped and immediately went into defence mode. Spinning around, her foot slid forward swiftly and she swung her fist forward. Instead of seeing an enemy of some sort though, she found a startled Mako stumbling backwards. Her posture relaxed at the sight of him, and Korra hurried forward. "Sorry, sorry! I thought you were a Triple Threat Triad or something!"

"Don't worry, it's okay," Mako assured her, one hand instinctively going up to his cheek where she'd hit him. A purplish mark was forming there. Korra felt a wave of guilt pass over her. That was going to leave a bruise. "I guess that makes us even now." He nodded to the burn on her hand that was now encased in a small bandage.

"I suppose," she said, flushing. Her gaze settled on the bruise again. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'll be fine," he insisted, waving a hand. Then he stopped to send her a funny look. "You know that the gym is closed now, right?"

Busted. Korra shifted her feet uncomfortably. "I know."

"So what are you doing here?"

"Just hanging," she said in the most casual voice she could manage.

Mako's eyes narrowed. "In the dark?"

"I like it that way," she told him awkwardly. "You know, dark. Hanging. In the dark."

"Right."

"Right," Korra agreed.

"Do you do this often?" Mako asked curiously. "Just hang around here at night?"

"Yeah, and why not? The gym manager here said I could because I'm the Avatar and it's not like-" Korra paused. "Hey, wait a minute, why you are you interrogating me for? What are _you _doing here?"

"I live here in return for doing random errands." Mako explained calmly. "And unless I'm mistaken, you live in the Air Temple which is a whole ferry ride away."

Korra scowled. "I like it here, okay? It's nice and it's quiet."

"I imagine the Air Temple must be terribly loud with the Air Acolytes holding parties all the time," Mako said, amused.

Her scowl deepened. "Forget it. You wouldn't understand." And it was true. He wouldn't. He didn't what it was like to lose his bending. He didn't know what it was like to have everyone avoid looking at you in the eye because you were no longer a true Avatar. He was normal. The world didn't rely on him if a war began. His main concern was winning the pro-bending tournament. Hers was to maintain peace within the nations.

It was safe to say that their priorities were very, _very_ different.

As she mused over this, his face softened and when he spoke, there was an gentle undertone in his voice. "Sorry about what I said earlier. I didn't mean any disrespect. Is there anything I can help you with, Avatar Korra?"

"Korra," she amended quickly. "Call me, Korra. And stop apologising," she added. "It's irritating."

He laughed. "Korra, then." He offered her a tentative smiile. "I'm Mako, by the way."

"I know," she replied without thinking. "I heard about you on the radio and asked around." As soon as she said, she was overtaken by a powerful urge to bury herself in the ground. Or die. Whichever came first.

"I'm flattered," he told her sincerely. She stared down at her feet, determinedly fighting off a blush. "Really though, do you need help with something?"

She didn't mince her words. "Can you get back my bending?"

He hesitated. "No."

Korra leaned against the door of the gym and eyed him warily. "I thought so." She was suddenly reminded of something. "You, um, haven't told anyone about my...problem right?"

Mako shook his head. "I don't think it's my place to tell people about your personal affairs."

"You're right," she said firmly. "It isn't. And there _is _a chance, you know—that my bending will come back." She was babbling, but she didn't care. She needed someone, _anyone_, to believe her. Even if it was some famous pro-bender who probably had no interest in her life. "I've haven't gone into the Avatar state. Yet. But I will. Soon. So keep your mouth shut or I'll get Naga, my polar bear dog, to attack you in your sleep."

He stared at her for a long moment after her rant, and Korra began to feel self-conscious. "What?" she snapped.

"I like your determination," he admitted. "Most people would just give up by now."

"Well, I'm not most people," Korra said bitterly. "And a whole heap of good my determination has gotten me."

Mako hesitated. "I don't really know what I can say to make you feel better but uh, how about an offer of friendship?"

"Friendship?" Korra repeated flatly. "Why would I want that?"

The side of his mouth lifted into a smile. "Hey, even the Avatar needs a friend right?"

Korra considered him. Since she was brought up training under the careful eye of the Order of the White Lotus, she had few friends that lasted more than a few months. Naga was her best friend along with Tenzin's kids, but there were moments where she wanted someone closer to her age to be friends with. Mako was just that.

What was the harm in having more friends? It wasn't like she had anything else to do.

"Yeah," Korra said, breaking out into the faintest of smiles. "I guess they do."

* * *

**notes:** Thanks for the reviews, glad this story isn't a total dud. I realise that since so many modifications are being made to the characters in this AU, going OOC may be inevitable. I'll try my best to avoid that, of course, but apologies in advance. A puppy dies every time a review is not given and well, we don't want that to happen right? More reviews equals faster writing. Tell me your thoughts about this chapter.


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